"Recovery felt weirdly uneven for me too—some days I'd wake up feeling great, thinking I was finally over the hump, then the next day I'd be sore again and frustrated."
Totally relate to this uneven recovery thing, dental healing is definitely unpredictable. But actually, mashed potatoes were a lifesaver for me—smoothies got old fast, and I found potatoes soothing rather than irritating. Maybe yours were too hot or salty? Either way, everyone's different, so it's good you're figuring out what works best for you. Hang in there!
I had the same weird rollercoaster recovery—one day feeling like a champ, next day back to square one. Honestly, mashed potatoes didn't do it for me either...felt kinda heavy and made my mouth feel gummy. I ended up leaning on lukewarm soups and scrambled eggs (boring, I know). But yeah, dental healing seems annoyingly random. Just gotta ride it out and trust it'll get better eventually. Good luck!
Yeah, dental healing can be super unpredictable. When I had my implant done, I thought smoothies would be the perfect solution...but turns out cold stuff made me feel worse. Ended up surviving mostly on room-temp oatmeal—boring but gentle enough, I guess.
Funny you mention smoothies—I had the exact opposite experience. After my extraction, cold stuff was my saving grace. Room-temp oatmeal sounds like a punishment to me, lol. I practically lived on frozen yogurt and chilled applesauce for days. Guess everyone's mouth has its own weird preferences... dental healing really is a quirky beast.
Totally agree with you on the cold stuff being a lifesaver. After my extraction, I found chilled foods helped a lot with swelling and discomfort. But funny enough, I couldn't handle anything too frozen—like ice cream or frozen yogurt—because the extreme cold actually made my jaw ache more. Weird, right?
What worked best for me was keeping things cool but not freezing. I'd blend up smoothies with frozen fruit but let them sit out for a few minutes to take the edge off. Also, refrigerated pudding cups were my go-to snack. They were cool enough to soothe the soreness without causing that sharp, icy pain. Applesauce was another winner, but I had to be careful about acidity—some brands were surprisingly tart and irritated my gums.
One thing I learned the hard way: avoid straws at all costs. My dentist warned me, but I underestimated how serious it was until I accidentally used one out of habit. The suction can disrupt the healing clot and lead to dry socket, which is no joke. Thankfully, I caught myself quickly enough and didn't have any major issues, but it was a good reminder to pay attention to those post-op instructions.
You're totally right though—everyone's mouth heals differently. I've heard some people swear by warm broths and soups, but personally, anything warm felt uncomfortable for the first few days. Dental recovery really is quirky and unpredictable... guess it's just trial and error until you find what works best for your own mouth.
